The concept of picture-in-a-picture with modem televisions is well known. Picture-in-a-picture capabilities allows viewers to monitor two channels simultaneously by using a second tuner to display a second, usually smaller, window within display. Generally, the main picture is controlled by a first tuner, while the smaller picture-in-a-picture video is displayed via a second tuner. For individuals desiring to monitor more than two programs simultaneously, this prior art solution has its limitations.
Other modem televisions, and computers, have the ability to display a grid of images representing snapshots, or thumbnails, of multiple channels that are periodically updated. While such an implementation of video processing allows one to monitor multiple channels, the images are updated infrequently and result in a choppy picture.
Therefore, while additional channels can be monitored, often the information is not useful. In addition, the methods utilized to switch back and forth between the thumbnail mode to a regular TV picture are often fixed and burdensome.
Therefore, prior art picture-in-a-picture (PIP) solutions with television and computers, have limited users to viewing a fixed number of small choppy images, or a single PIP window. Therefore, a flexible method of controlling the display of video to overcome the problems discussed herein would be advantageous.